A New Target For Tech & Investment: Farming

With the world's population expected in reaching 10 billion by the year 2050, the need for a comprehensive reformation of how we feed people is clear and apparent.  In many studies, global agricultural production would have to increase by a minimum of 70 percent in order to keep up with human growth. And that figure does not take into account the environmental degradation of climate change and water shortages happening on record levels.

As a result, the farming industry has no choice but to improve in efficiency.  The good news is that venture capitalists seem to be collectively understanding this, and are taking action.

New investment in farming has skyrocketed this past year, upwards of $153 million.  While this capital has gone into all sorts of sectors, new technology is clearly drawing attention.  It's not only investors who see the application potential of tech such as drones and automation in agriculture; new forms of tools and robotics was a chief consensus for the next generation of farmers at the recent Young Farmers Conference of Stone Barns Center, NY.  Farmers' Edge Laboratories is one start-up that's gaining traction, specifically around applying drones to the world of farming.  While there are opportunities for drones to take part in actual farming methods, Farmers' Edge is focusing on their potential for gathering sophisticated data, a crucial asset for the farming community moving forward.

In fact, data and information is being valued more than ever by farmers around the world.  One web developer has created Farmhack, an open community site for farmers to trade valuable knowledge about new methods, products, and techniques.  Stone Farms' "Virtual Grange" is a similar type of online portal, and while this kind of sharing is nothing new in the ag world, its expansion online is showing how the internet's unique ability to merge knowledge spheres with focused funding can be the key to improving farming, quite literally improving the future for us all.

Donal Thoms-Cappello is a freelance writer for Rotor Clip Company (www.rotorclip.com).